Medina, Juana. I Feel! A Book of Emotions. Juana Medina, Illus. I Will! Series; bk. 3. Versify, 10/2022. 40pp. Picture Book. GRADES Preschool – 2. $15.99. 978-0-358-62124-9. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
This engaging picture book helps young readers identify their feelings, and provides a starting point for thoughtful conversations about emotions. Each spread names one emotion in bold, handwritten text, and shows two illustrations to help readers understand that feeling. A simple line drawing of a face showing the emotion accompanies the page with the word, and the facing page presents an illustration of a child experiencing this emotion in specific situations. For “angry,” two children stand back-to-back with angry looks on their faces and in their body language, while “happy” shows a child stomping in puddles with a big smile across their face. The fourteen emotions range across the spectrum from frightened to shy to proud, without judgment or commentary. The illustrations stand out with bold, thick outlines, bright colors and white backgrounds, keeping the focus clearly on the child and their experience. Children vary in skin tone and ethnicity. This picture book will be especially helpful for caregivers helping children name, understand, and validate their big feelings, providing a way to talk about how one can positively handle one’s emotions.
Mary Ann Scheuer—Independent